Kite



Nov. 2, 193.7. TAYLOR I 2,097,538

'KITE Filed Feb. 21, 1936 imyyM/Ligyiw m mp-M Patented Nov. 2, 1937 I i I I I r t g UNITE srres PATENT OFFICE.

KITE

George M. Taylor, Wakefield, Mass, assignor to Paul K. Guillow, Wakefield, Mass.

Application February 21, 1936, Serial No. 65,010

12 Claims. (01. 244-154) This invention relates to kites and its object is sembled, extend 12" each from the center of the to provide a kite having the appearance of an block. The stem is'shorter than the other airplane which, when flown in attachment to a Spars, and extends forward from the center ,of, thread or string, will rise and fly like an airplane the block a distance of about 6". A considerglider, steadily, without diving or traveling forable part of this length is in front of the forward 5 ward against the wind. A further object is to edge of the wings, which furnishes an unobmake provisions for attachment of the anchor structed length, at any point of which the anchor line in different positions, adjusted to the force thread or string 50. may be secured; the ability of the wind, so that the kite may be caused to thus to attach the thread at different points fly in a substantially level position in winds and providing a means for adjusting the balance be- 10 breezes of different velocities. A further object tween the thrust of the wind and thepull of the is to furnish as a commercial article the parts of thread to the forceand velocity of the wind. I such a kite in a disassembled condition, with have found that with a light wind the thread means for enabling the purchaser to assemble must be attached near the wing, while for a' the parts correctly in the relationship needed heavier wind the point o attachment Should be 15- for proper functioning of the kite. nearer to the outer end of the stem. By provid- A drawing of a preferred embodiment of the ,ing uch u st u length o tem. the at invention, represented on a reduced scale, is ta me t Po n Of e thread ay be readily furnished herewith to illustrate the novel prinadjusted to anyforce of wind between the light- 001 ciples for which I claim protection. est breeze suflicient to raise the kite, and the In the drawing, strongest wind inwhich it can safely be flown.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the assembled kite; The wings a e made from a Single b a .5 Fig. .2 is a longitudinal section; of thin, but tough and strong, paper out to ap- Figs; 3, 4, 5 and 6 are cross sections t aken reproximately the Shape and P P S W in spectively on lines 33, 4-4, 5-5 and 6-45 of Fig. 7. The width of the blank at its widest Fig. 2; point is approximately 7-", but may be less, and Fig. 7 is a plan view of a flat paper blank from m t e dd e the Wings taper gradually 130 a which the wings of the embodiment thus illusless width,withpr y a largerangle be ween trated are made; the ribs and the rear edge than that between the Fig. 8 is a similar view of the central part of ribs a d e W d edge- 30v f the wing blank after having been shortened at o e assembling With the frame, the W the forward edge to form a pocket. blank is notched or slit inward from the middle Like reference characters designate the same of the forward edge, as shown at l, and the edges. parts wherever they occur in all the figures. of the notch brought together, or overlapped, and

'The kite here illustrated is constructed of a secured by a gummed tape 8. This shortens the 5 light wooden frame, paper wings, a paper tail, forward edge and makes a shallow pocket midstifiening ribs, and gummed paper tapes asconway between the ends and slightly forward of the necting means. The frame consists of a con middle point between the forward and rear edges necting block I a longitudinal beam 2, wing ribs Such pocket enables the wing blank, when, placed 40 3 and 4, and a forward stem 5. Preferably these beneath the frame and connected therewith, .as40

parts are made of balsa wood, which of available presently described, to be conformed with the materials is the one providing maximum stiffness longitudinal angle between the beam 2 and stem with minimum weight. In the illustrative speci- 5, and the transverse angle between the wing,

men, which has a wing spread of approximately ribs 3 and 4. Before assemblage, the wing tips 24.", the connecting block I2 is square with are stiffened by braces 9 and H], which are lengths .4 5. sides 1% long and a thickness of The of resilient reed about es in diameter, secured spars, by which term I designate comprehensiveat their ends to the upper face of the wing by ly the members 2, 3, 4 and 5, are square prisms patches H, H and I2, l2 of gummed paper.

5" in width and thickness, inserted at one end The wing blank is assembled with the frame in holes cut in the block. These holes enter the by placing it thereunder and connecting its op- 50 block from the corners and on the diagonals posite ends to the rib ends by patches I3 and thereof, at an inclination of approximately 11 M respectively of gummed paper. These ends with the top and. bottom planes of the block. are thus connected successively and the wing is The beam 2 and wing ribs 3 and 4 are equal to drawn taut after being thus attached to one end,

one another in length and, when correctly aswhereupon the other end -attachment is made. 5 5,.

The forward and rear edges of the wing blank are then connected to the stem and longitudinal beam by similar gummed paper patches l5 and it respectively. In making these latter attachments, the edges of the wing blank are pinched around the under side of the spars far enough to take up any slack which there may be in the edges, so that after the gummed patches have been applied, the edges are stretched taut and straight so that they cut the air cleanly without fluttering.

Fig. 4 illustrates in principle how the rear edge of the wing blank may be thus caused to embrace partially the beam 2. The operator in making the connection presses upward with the thumb and finger of one hand on opposite sides of the beam beneath the wing, and downwardly on the beam with a finger of the other hand while laying the adhesive tape on the upper side of the wing across the beam and holding it until the adhesive sticks firmly. Either or both edges may be thus bent around the beam and stem respectively to a greater or less extent, depending on how loose the edges may have been initially. There may be no embracing whatever of the spar by the edge of the wing; but the capacity for doing so, in the manner described, affords ameans by which the desired condition of tautness of the edges, and particularly of the forward edge, may be obtained.

The tail is made from a blank of paper which is folded double on the middle line and bent outwardly at each side on lines equidistant from the outer edges so as to form an upright rudder vane l1 and two horizontal stabilizer vanes l8 and 9.

. In the present illustration the tail blank is approximately a semicircle and is folded on approximately radial lines so spaced as to divide the blank into approximately equal Sectors, the middle sectors of which form the vertical rudder and the outer sectors the fan shaped stabilizer vanes. The fold between the sectors which form the rudder is reinforced and stiffened by a gummed tape 20 which is folded double and applied to the outside of the fold between the rudder sectors. To apply this tall assemblage to the frame, the parts at the base of the rudder are spread apart as shown at Fla and l lb in Fig. 5 so as to straddle the rear partof the beam 2, and these embracing parts are then secured by gummed tapes 2| and 22 which are stuck to the sides of the beam and overlap the parts Ila and Nb to a sufficient extent. The stabilizer vanes are braced and held substantially in a horizontal plane near their rear edges by a stiffener 23, which may be a hexible and resilient reed like the wing braces 9 and I passed through a hole in the beam and extended at opposite ends over the vanes 18 and I9, to which it is secured at a sufficient number of points by gummed patches 24 and 25. The tail vanes are notched to permit placement of this brace on the upper side of the stabilizer vanes. By means of the brace 23 and the reinforced fold between the panels of the rudder, the rudder and stabilizer vanes are adequately held substantially in the vertical and horizontal planes respectively when the kite is in the air, or nearly enough so to keep it steady in direction and elevation.

The foregoing detailed and specific description is intended to give complete information enabling the artisan to put the invention into prac- 70' tice. But it is not to be construed as limiting my claimed protection to all details of such description. Many variations in dimensions, proportions and construction of the various parts of the kite may be made within the scope of such protection. For instance, the kite may be made larger or smaller than indicated, the proportion of length to width of the wings may be considerably varied in both directions, and the shape and construction of the tail vanes may be varied. The wing surfaces may be made of two pieces of paper or equivalent fabric instead of one piece as previously described, each of the two pieces being attached at its tip to the rib end and at its base near the forward and rear edges respectively to the longitudinal beam. Each marginal part of the wing base may be thus attached by means of gummed tapes, and in being attached is stretched tight, so that the same ultimate effect as previously described in respect to the firm edges, the up tilted forward margin, and the pocket effect in the combined wing structure, is obtained as already described. Other equivalent modes of forming and connecting the members of the frame may also be used. For instance, the two longitudinal spars 2 and may be made in a single integral piece, and so may the two wing ribs 3 and 4, or a plurality of ribs may be provided to support and brace each wing.

Principles which I consider important and desire to protect broadly are the following:-

The forward edge and an adjacent area of the wings is tilted up at an angle of substantial magnitude with respect to the rear portion thereof in the fore-and-aft dimension of the kite, sufficient to prevent forward flight of the plane beyond the control of the string to which it is attached and to prevent a down draft of air on the top of the wings. the wing area is thus tilted upward; but this proportion is not a narrowly limiting factor. It should be less than one half, but not less than one fourth. Due to the particular construction here shown,.thc angle of up tilt is greatest in the middle of the kite and diminishes gradually toward the wing tips. Due to this up tilt the kite always fiies somewhat to leeward of the person controlling it and maintains a light strain on the string. That is, it does not travel to windward enough to slacken the string or cause the pull of the string to tilt the kite downward and make it diveu But at the same time the up tilt is small enough to provide a smooth air flow surface on the under side of the wings and enable the impingement of air on the rear fraction of such surface to lift the kite.

The formation of a pocket by slitting or notching and shortening the forward edge and adjacent area of the wings is an important factor in accommodating such an inextensible material as paper simultaneously to the dihedral angle of the wings and the up tilt of the forward fraction of the wings. The angle between the wing ribs, which in this case is 158 and may be slightly greater or less, establishes a dihedral wing angle which insures stability.

The plane of the stabilizing vanes is approximately coincident with or parallel to the front to rear elements of the wing surfaces in rear of the ribs 3 and 4. There need not be an exact paral lelism, but there is such a near approach to parallelism that the stabilizing vanes hold the kite substantially level in the front to rear dimension,

I consider that my invention comprises both generic principles or features as above stated, and also the specific details herein disclosed.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A kite having lateral wings and a guiding tail vane structure longitudinally displaced from the wings and in which the forward portion of Approximately the forward third of the wings is tilted up relatively to the rear portion thereof in the fore-and-aft dimension of the kite at an angle sufiicient to cause the wind to exert a retarding as well as a lifting action on the kite when in tethered flight.

2. A kite comprising wings arranged on a stabilizing dihedral angle, and in which a forward fraction of the wings is tilted up at an inclination to the rear fraction, and a tail including a stabilizing member in a plane substantially parallel to the front to rear elements of the rear fraction of the wing surfaces; such plane and elements being substantially horizontal when the kite is in normal flying position.

3. A kite comprising a frame including wing supports and a forwardly projecting stem, a wing fabric secured to said supports and stem and arranged with a forward fraction at an upward inclination to the rear fraction thereof, and upright and lateral guiding vanes carried by the frame in rear of the wings; the said lateral vanes being in substantially the same plane with the rear fraction of the wings, and the stem projecting forwardly of the wings and providing means for attachment of a cord at different distances from the forward edge of the wings, and the arrangement of the wings and vanes being such that the kite is caused to fly like a glider airplane when tethered by a cord attached to the stem and at no other point on the kite.

4. A kite comprising a frame structure having lateral wing supports, a longitudinal frame member, and a forward stem, the wing supports and stem being inclined upwardly from a horizontal plane when the frame is symmetrically placed' with respect to such a plane and the longitudinal member in such plane, horizontal and upright vanes secured to the rear part of the longitudinal member, and a wing fabric secured to said frame structure so that the opposite wings make a dihedral angle with one another and a forward fraction of the wings is inclined upwardly with respect to a larger rear fraction thereof, and the front-to-rear elements of such rear fraction are substantially parallel to said horizontal vanes.

5. A kite comprising a frame structure having lateral wing supports, a longitudinal frame member, and a forward stem, the wing supports and stem being inclined upwardly from a horizontal plane when the frame is symmetrically placed with respect to such a plane and the longitudinal member in such plane, and a wing fabric secured to said frame member so that the opposite wings make a dihedral angle with one another and a forward fraction of the wings is inclined to a larger rear fraction thereof, combined with a tail structure having substantially upright and substantially horizontal guiding vanes.

6. A kite comprising a frame made essentially of a longitudinal bar, a forward stem extending in alinement with said bar forwardly and upwardly when the longitudinal bar is horizontal and the frame as a whole is placed symmetrically with respect to the horizontal plane and lateral wing ribs projecting to either side of the longitudinal bar upwardly at equal acute angles with the horizontal plane, and a wing fabric stretched beneath said frame and secured at its opposite ends to the wing ribs and at its forward edge to the stem in front of, and at its rear edge to the longitudinal member in rear of, the wing ribs, said wing fabric having stiffening braces adjacent to the wing tips and having a shallow pocket of gradually increasing depth between its opposite edges and midway between its tips, whereby its under surface is conby the respective frame members.

'7 A kite comprising a frame having a longitudinal bar, lateral wing ribs, and a forward stem connected together with-the wing ribs extending laterally and upwardly from the longitudinal bar, and the stem extending in alinement and upwardly from said bar when the longitudinal bar is horizontal and the frame as a whole 'is placed symmetrically with respect to the horizontal and at its forward and rear edges to the stem and longitudinal member in front and rear, respectively, of the wing ribs said wing fabric having stiffening braces adjacent to the wing tips, and having a shallow pocket of gradually increasing depth between its opposite edges and midway between its tips, whereby its under surface is con-'- formed approximately to the planes established by the respective frame members, combined with a tail structure consisting of a vertical rudder and horizontal stabilizing vanes secured to the longitudinal beam at the rear thereof.

8. In an air glider, a wing body comprised by an originally flat paper blank having the dimensions and area of two airplane wings, and. being shortened as to its forward edgeand a portion of its area adjacent thereto while the rear portion and edge are of original length, the body having a shallow pocket midway between its tips and intermediate the front and rear edges, such pocket being of gradually increasing depth from the edges of the sheet.

9. An air glider comprising two wings and a stabilizing vane, in which the wings are arranged formed approximately to the planes established '10 plane, a wing fabric stretched beneath said frame and secured at its opposite ends to the wing ribs.

at a dihedral angle and each is composed of a.

stiffening rib and a sheet of suitable fabric, said wing surface sheets being attached at their tips I to the respective stiffening ribs and at their base ends to the frame structure and being drawn taut at their forward and rear edges so that the wing surfaces together have a shallow pocket midway between the tips and intermediate the front and rear edges, which pocket is of gradually decreasing depth both longitudinally and transversely.

10. An airplane kite comp-rising a longitudinal frame member, wings connected to said frame member and extending transversely to opposite sides thereof with a stabilizing dihedral angle between them, upright and lateral tail vanes connected to said frame member in rear of the wings, V

sentially of connected longitudinal beam and forward stem members, inclined to one another in a single line and in a vertical plane when the kite is in normal flying position, and connected transverse rib members inclined to one another in a single line and in a vertical plane at right angles to that of the longitudinal members, the junctions of said longitudinal and transverse members coinciding with the intersection of said vertical planes with each other and the convex side of the angles between the members being downward, combined with a wing fabric secured at its opposite ends to the transverse members, extending beneath the frame both to forward and rear of the transverse members, having points in its front-to-rear middle-line connected with the longitudinal members and its portion forward of said junctions being inclined upwardly with respect to its adjacent rear portion. 7

12. A kite comprising a frame consisting essentially of connected longitudinal beam and forward stem members, inclined to one another in a single line and in a vertical plane when the kite is in normal flying position, and connected transverse rib members inclined to one another in a single line and in a vertical plane at right angles.

to that of the longitudinal members, the junctions of said longitudinal and transverse members coinciding with the intersection of said vertical planes with each other and the convex side of the angles between the members being downward, combined with a paper sheet constituting a wing fabric secured at its ends to the transverse members, stretched beneath the frame and extending to front and rear of the transverse members, and being gathered in at one edge to conform its surface to the convex angles of the frame members, its front and rear edge portions being secured to the stem and beam members respectively.

- GEORGE M. TAYLOR. 

